"Kate" wrote in message
.. .
Hey Bob!
Welcome to the wonderful world of wood chips ... one newbie to
another.

I have a suggestion for you. I was looking for a scroll saw too
but was not
interested in either of the brands you are considering here.
I'm retired too so I tend to pinch a penny when I can.

I bought a Delta, single speed at a local pawn shop for $45.
Now, I WILL say that after I have used it awhile I truly wish I
had gotten a
variable speed BUT for now it works just great.
Delta/Porter Cable are affordable and as far as I know reliable.

Another place to look is on EBay. You can find good used ones and
save
yourself some major bucks.

One of the reasons I went with the Delta is because it uses blades
that do
not have the pin in the ends to hold it in place.
This way I can use even super fine Jewelers saw blades in it if I
want to. I
have used some of the twisted blades to play with and they are
pretty neat
when you are really wiggling around though the guys in here that
are truly
experienced don't seem to need that sort of thing.

My research (and experience) has been that if you look around, you
can get a
great deal on a good used machine. That way you can use the extra
money to
buy some better wood.

One source for smaller pieces of wood might be a cabinet shop. I
spoke to
one locally and he told me that if I brought down a big trash can
and gave
him an idea of what sizes I wanted he'd toss them in and I could
have them
for free... free is ALWAYS good!

I just went to EBay and searched "scroll saw" There are a bunch of
them for
under $100, you really ought to have a look.

Good luck to you


Kate
______
Very helpful suggestions. Thanks very much.
Bob